What Is An Ice Dam, How Do They Form, and How To Prevent Them?
If you remember the winter of 2020, there was an abundance of ice dams on many homes in our area. An ice dam is a ridge of ice that forms at the edge of the roof and over the gutter system. This ice ridge prevents melting snow, and water, to properly drain from the roof. The water backs up behind the dam. The water then can leak into the home causing all kinds of visible and hidden damage.
What Causes Ice Dams
It’s all about heat loss. A roof with different surface temperatures leads to ice dams. Heat loss from a home, snow cover, and the outside temperature work together to form the dams. Here’s how it works:
Snow must be on the roof. The higher portions of the roof’s outside surface temperature must be above 32 degrees, while the lower portion is below freezing, 32 degrees. These temperatures must be sustained over a period of time. The snow on the higher portion will melt and run down until it reaches the lower portion that is below freezing. When the water reaches the lower portion, it freezes, and thus, an ice dam is born!
The dam grows as more snow melts and makes its way to the dam. Above the dam, water remains liquid. The water then seeks cracks, crevasses, and openings which ultimately end up in your home.
How to Prevent Ice Dams?
Generally, an ice dam forms when snow under a snowpack melts reaches the eaves of heated buildings, and freezes there. Ice dam removal is a pain, so try to avoid the formation in the first place. Here are a few ice dam solutions to prevent your roof from ice dam attack:
- Fixing clogged gutters and damaged shingles will save you time and money down the road because it can cause leaks into your roof.
- Install heat cables to help water flow off your roof instead of under it.
Avoid ice dam remedies such as salt-filled hacks. It will not help you in ice dams prevention, but it might discolor your roof.
If you already have ice dams, It’s difficult to get rid of ice dams altogether. If your ice dams are severe, consider hiring a professional to remove them. Contact us for professional ice dam removal services. Serving Webster, Penfield, Fairport, Greece, Irondequoit, Ontario, Brighton, Pittsford, Victor, and surrounding areas in New York.
